Silicones have been widely employed to render fabrics water repellent. Presently they are applied to clothing, carpeting, window coverings, furniture, car seats, etc. to protect the fabrics from water-borne stains.
Various fabrics and various weaves benefit more of less in water repellency from the application of silicone. For example, unsized, tightly woven cotton materials have good water repellency with the application of silicones. In contrast, loosely woven shag materials with high loft benefit less in water repellency with silicone application. In either case at least some benefit is obtained. However, regardless of the degree of water repellency obtained, soil or dirt retention increases in proportion with the amount of silicone applied.
One prior art silicone fabric treatment composition is reported to contain by weight 30 parts of a composition having 55 to 60% by weight MDQ and MQ resins in organic solution, 18 parts of a branched silanol stopped fluid, having a viscosity of 15 to 40 centistokes and being the condensation product of D and T units in a weight ratio of 3/1, 14.5 parts of a titanate catalyst and 36 parts mineral spirits. This composition has excellent water repellency but increases soil and dirt retention of the fabric.
Another prior art silicone fabric treatment composition is reported to contain by weight 34 parts of a composition having 50 to 60% by weight MQ and condensed MQ resins in organic solution, 11.5 parts of a 3,000 centistoke silanol stopped silicone polymer, 35.5 parts of a branched silanol stopped fluid having a viscosity of 15 to 40 centistokes and being the condensation product of D and T units in a weight ratio of 3/1, 34 parts of titanate catalyst, and 100 ppm perfluoroalkylpolyether for antifoam.
In addition to silicone compositions, perfluoroalkyl resins diluted with various solvents including 1,1,1-trichloroethane have been used in fabric treatment. The perfluoroalkyl resins provide excellent oil resistance but are generally less water repellent than silicones and are relatively more expensive.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to produce a silicone fabric treatment composition having reduced soil or dirt retention.
It is another object of the present invention to produce a silicone fabric treatment composition having improved oil resistance.
It is yet another object of the present invention to treat fabrics with these compositions.